Oakwood Shotgun Houses Renovation

Seawell Ave Shotgun - Energy Star Qualified!

2011-06-15T08:28:00.001-07:00

The Seawell Shotgun house is finished! It got finished just as a tornado was blowing overhead! I was in the house working when the storm blew over - fortunately it held together and no damage to the house. The 'hood looked like a war zone, but it's all better now. I used a British door like on my house, it looks great!

The Living room has a 16' high cathedral ceiling with original exposed beams and new whitewashed tongue-in-groove pine. With large windows and a skylight, it seems so much larger than the
exterior indicates.

The efficient kitchen has granite counters and recycled glass mosiac backsplash which look great with the stainless steel appliances!

The bathroom is larger than you would expect to find in a 700 square foot home! Very comfortable and filled with light from the skylight.

The bedroom area was originally the kitchen and bathroom, so the flooring was not salvagable. We put eco-friendly bamboo in. The door to the exterior from the bedroom goes out to the deck and backyard.

In the winter, or if we can get rid of the Kudzu, there is a view of the Raleigh skyline from the deck!

What's Next? Another house! 313 Seawell

2011-02-11T14:22:00.001-08:00

We just started the 8th house in the Oakwood Cottages project. This one is our "bonus" house - it wasn't planned as part of the redevelopment, but recently became available. It sits just across the street from the solar house, 316 Seawell, and it is a shotgun house.

This time I have designed a home that will remain the current size of the house, 704 square feet. This will be a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom home. The house has been totally gutted, and will be renovated using as many green construction practices as we can use. It will also be insulated with Icynene Spray Foam so it's sure to be energy efficient to live in - and cozy!

The house was originally built with a pier foundation, so we are adding new footers and a curtain wall foundation. The footers were dug out earlier this week, and since the weather is cooperating with some warm temperatures, we poured concrete today.

The plans for this house call for a beautiful cathedral ceiling in the great room, with exposed ceiling joists. The kitchen will be galley style, and open to the LR. The bedroom will be large - with a large closet. I am hoping we will be able to save all the original heart-pine flooring.

The house will be built to be wheel chair accessible.

Keep checking back to watch the progress! Hopefully this one will be finished by April!

Sir Walter Raleigh Award

2010-10-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who were a part of creating Oakwood Cottages! Last night I accepted a 2010 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Residential Community Projects from the City of Raleigh.

It is an honor to work with some great folks - thanks! Some pics of the Award ceremony will follow soon!

Interior just about finished

2010-10-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

So, the house is almost finished. In addition to being "green", it's a comfortable, well planned and liveable home. So far the Solar PV has generated $187 in electricity and I've used $78 in electricity in the last two months! Not bad!

The radiant floor heat is now ready - just in time as we'll be getting some cold weather soon!

Here is the Livingroom with the first piece of new furniture - a red leather couch! The rest should be in next week.

This shot shows the dining area and kitchen. The wood on the kitchen bar is rough-hewn heart pine from another house I renovated last year.

Kitchen with concrete counters, glass mosiac backsplash and stainless steel appliances with a farmhouse sink.

This antique Set-back cabinet is about 100 years old. This house is a blend of new and old.

This shot is of the built-in hall tree at the rear entrance. The door at the left is the entrance to the downstairs bathroom.

Two story livingroom - the leaded glass windows at the top look from the upstairs home office.

Antique stainglass door at the top of the stairs. The door and windows allow the upstairs to be closed off for air temperature and sound control.

This is the office looking into the master bedroom. These doors were repurposed from a house I renovated several years ago.

The master bedroom has a fireplace (to the left of the doors) called "The Torch". Floors are Hickory.

The master bedroom ceiling is vaulted, tongue-and-groove pine pickled white.

Five foot high wainstcoting covers two of the master bedroom walls.

Antique doors re-used in the bathroom.

Master bathroom.

Delinquent Blog update!!

2010-07-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a bad, bad blogger. I have been so incredibly busy working on the house that I have not taken the time to blog about it. On the outside of the house, the painting is done (except for touch ups) and the landscaping is in. Thanks to Alan Wilser from T-1 Earthcare for a great job!!! All native plants except for the one Weeping Cherry tree that I insisted on - because I like them. The landscape will require very little if any irrigation once it's established. Besides that - it looks great and has a few edible plants!

The interior is taking shape nicely. Just last week we passed all the trades inspections - Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical. I'm proud of myself for installing the HVAC with no background and passing inspection on the first try! Now we'll see if the units work when the power is on!

This shot is of the area near the ceiling in the living room - antique leaded glass windows - will open for airflow and close to keep air out of my office when desireable. Also good for sound control.

The corner of the Living Room has my "splurge" gas fireplace. Very cool soapstone fireplace. Of course, these days don't inspire fireplaces since it's been over 100 in the house for most days in the last few weeks.

Here is a shot of the house from front towards the kitchen. I'm looking forward to the antique stepback cabinet being delivered - I'm reusing this old furniture and reducing the new cabinets required - very green, plus it looks cool!

Great tile work if I do say so myself. My daugher in law loves the house, but hates that there is no bath tub. She says "No woman will ever buy this house". Ok with me!

The crew from Southern Energy Management installed the solar thermal collectors a few weeks ago. It was really hot outside - I didn't envy their jobs! These 4 collectors heat a tank (see below) filled with almost 200 gallons of water.

On the top level roof the crew is installing the PV panels. They should be done in 2 more days - 20 panels will generate lots more electricity than I will likely use. It will all get sold to the grid for a price near 25 cents per Kilowatt hour, which is nice because I'll buy my electricity for 10 cents per Kilowatt hour. That and the 65% in tax credits sure make this a good deal!

Here is a photo of the 200 gallon tank in the attic - this is now operating (when I plug the pump into an extension cord). It generates tons of hot water from the solar panels. In the winter the other heat exchanger will circulate water thru the floors to heat the house.

So, tomorrow I'm scheduled for my final inspections - hope to pass and get my CO so I can get the power on. That will allow me to start up my A/C and be able to work in cooler temperatures installing trim and upstairs flooring as well as cleaning and sealing the concrete floors on the first floor.

Soon some hardscaping the backyard will go in - a paver patio/driveway, pergola, fire pit and seat wall will be up against the back of the house, with 720 square feet of space left next to the alley/driveway access for the other Oakwood Cottage houses to create a nice veggie garden!

As soon as it gets a bit cooler I'll replace my neighbor's old chain link fence with a new white picket fence and some fresh landscaping. She has been great - allowing me and my construction crews to use her land to access my house. It's nice to have such good neighbors!

Major progress!

2010-05-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's nice to have a garage door! It makes the house look so much more finished and is more secure than the plywood nailed up over the opening!

The glass block is done in the master bathroom shower, tile will go in soon.

The walls are being primed inside now, and electrical fixtures/lights are going in. This is looking cool!

The stairs are in - railings will look really cool - galvanized pipe! They will be done this week.

The front door is an antique - from England, which explains why the door knob is so high up. The door was caked with layers of paint - it took 3 days to refinish, but it's beautiful! The rear doors will be fiberglass Energy Star doors, but I couldn't resist this door.

All of the interior doors will be antique - some from other houses I've done, some antiques from Englad with awesome stained glass! It will be a nice contrast to the modern floors and fixtures.

Stamped Concrete; Getting ready for Insuation!

2010-04-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Last week the concrete trucks pulled up. Tri City Contractors added some color I had selected to the mix.

... and poured a bunch of concrete on the front and back porches...

then stamped a pattern in... now it looks like slate! Very cool!

As an added bonus, they had a move a big pile of dirt which was in their way, so the guys buried the rainwater tank!

Inside, progress continues. Southern Energy Management has placed the large storage tank for the Solar Thermal heaters. This tank will supply heat for both domestic hot water and the radiant floor system. The electrical is in - Thanks JOHN ENZOR! Rural Plumbing did an great job on the plumbing; but not so good on the Gas Piping. I'm now waiting for them to fix what they didn't do right and after they PROMISED me it would be done last week (including talking to them 3 times on Friday) and they didn't show up, I'm a bit peeved, to say the least.

I did the installation of the Ductless Mini Split heatpumps myself. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't too complicated. Just a lot of work. I also installed all the vents and fans. I'm using this really cool system from Broan - the Smart Sense system. The bathroom fans are all wired on the same circuit with an outside air damper. This lets them talk to each other. When a bathroom fan is manually turned on, the damper opens and lets enough outside air in for the fan to work effectively. I can also program the fans to come on so that there are enough fresh air exchanges to keep the air fresh in the house - a concern with the tightness of the house.

So, soon the insulation will go in, then drywall!

In the mean time, I've been refinishing a bunch of antique doors - more on that later!

Almost done framing...

2010-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

It has been COLD! We've had a few weather delays, but are moving along well. Today the guys from Southern Energy Management started doing the rough-in work for the PV panels. Very exciting.

Last Friday (in the cold rain) and Sunday I installed the tubing for radiant floor heating for the 2nd floor. It wasn't too difficult at all. It might have actually been fun if it wasn't 34 and raining!

You can see the rear of the house taking shape! My framer had a great idea I missed while planning. I am able to fit a walk-in closet into the attic space above the garage, so I can access that from my Master bathroom and get slightly more space in the existing bedroom by eliminating that closet. Thanks Chris!

The front porch is going on today. By next week we should be starting the roof and have the house dried in!

Framing still in progress

2010-01-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

Last week the rainwater storage tank was set in place. I think we did ok and didn't have to disturb too many large roots for the tree at the front of the house. I'd like to preserve that if at all possible. This tank will collect the water from the roof (1" of rainfall will fill the tank) for use in flushing toilets and irrigation/outside water usage.

Chris of Kala Construction is working hard framing the roof over the garage. John Enzor is busy marking for cuts in the background. Cold day - waiting for the snowstorm.

It's a little easier to see the outline of the house now.

This is a view from the front through to the back.

It will look better once the windows are cut out! This is the south side - it has lots of windows going in. This is the side of the roof that the solar panels will go on. I learned last week that by PV panels will generate enough electricity to offset the same amount of carbon as not driving over 225,000 miles during the life of the panels or the equivalent of planting 25,500 trees! Now I don't feel bad about having to cut down a few of the "weed trees" that were growing on the south side before construction started.

Framing underway

2010-01-15T09:56:00.001-08:00

On January 13, Stock Building Supply delivered a huge truck full of lumber - most of what's needed to frame the house. Chris Kala of Kala Construction began framing that day.

This is the part where you see a lot of progress in a short amount of time! Chris is starting with the part of the house that has two stories, then will do the front - Living room - which has a 20' vaulted ceiling. The framing is done using "Advanced Framing Technique". This technique uses 15% less lumber - which is great for lumber savings, but even better allows for more insulation and less breaks in the insulation. The exterior walls are all 24" on center 2x6's rather than 16" 2x 4's. Also, the second floor studs will go directly over the 1st floor - that allows us to use one top plate - not two.

It's exciting to see a plan come into reality!

Foundation almost done

2009-12-30T04:54:00.000-08:00

Once the footers were poured, the crew came back and formed the foundation walls.

After the forms were in, the concrete pump truck and 3 concrete trucks arrived to pour the foundation walls. It was fascinating to watch the pump operator walk around with his remote control to move the pump arm where he wanted it and control the flow of concrete.

The pump arm could reach from the rear of the house all the way to the front.

Foundation poured - rebar sticking up will be bent over once the gravel and insulation are in. It will hold the final slab to the walls.

The foundation was filled with gravel (a lot of gravel). Then the plumbers came to rough in the plumbing that went under the slab. After that was inspected, the foundation was filled with gravel (a lot of gravel), then a layer of foam insulation board, then a vapor barrier. Next a grid of rebar was formed. After that, I installed the tubing for the radiant floor heating - All by myself! I'm so proud of myself! I put a pressure test on it - no leaks! Now the concrete is ready to be poured for the slab.

906 - Open House 12/13/09 from 2 - 4 PM

2009-12-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

We are putting the finishing touches on this week - the house has been landscaped (soon the grass will sprout!) Just a small bit of exterior paint touch up to go.

I love these front porches!

The fence will be done in a few days! Very cool metal fence like the rest of the Oakwood Cottages homes.

Comfy living room - gas log fireplace, built ins, crown moulding, dark oak floors.

Glass mosiac backsplash, granite counters, stainless steel appliances - What a beautiful kitchen!

Dining room - open to kitchen and livingroom - great floor plan for entertaining!

Master bedroom plus 3 more - lots of space. Loft on second floor. Laundry on 2nd floor.

Come check it all out Sunday 12/13 2-4 during the Oakwood Christmas Tour.

A dream starts to be come reality!!!

2009-11-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm a bit of a green freak. I've always thought God had a better plan than fossil fuel! I have a cabin in VA that is powered by the Sun. I love the outdoors, and think we as humans have been given a mandate to manage it well.

So, I've wanted to build a solar powered/heated house for a long time, but I also like living in downtown Raleigh - not a lot of solar stuff going on in urban areas. Then I realized that when I bought the 6 dilapidated shot-gun houses a few years ago I got two long narrow lots behind them that happened to have a direct southern exposure. The only problem was that the lot with the street frontage is only 20' wide at the front. Current zoning code requires 30'.

Tell me I can't do something, and I'll almost go nuts trying to figure out how. Guess what - in Raleigh if a lot's boundaries pre-date zoning, it is permisable to build a single family house on that lot as long as you can meet set-back requirements.

One hurdle down. The next problem is that with a 20' lot, and 15 foot combined setback requirements for the sides that only would leave room for a 5' wide house! Well, low and behold - another loophole! My lot happens to be in the New Bern-Edenton Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD). This is a special zoning district designed to encourage development that preserves the character of the neighborhood. Many existing homes are built right up to the lot line, so current NCOD rules allow zero lot-line building. So now, I can fit a 16' wide house with 16" overhangs!!! With a direct southern exposure on the long side of the roof!

So, I've designed a house that is 16' wide (narrow for a house, but not for a room - so design a house with no hallways to waste space) that will be certified green built and certified Energy Star. It will generate more electricity from the roof than it uses, and will heat it's own hot water for domestic use and radiant floor heating. It will collect rain water to be used to flush the toilets, do laundry and water the plants. It will have an open floor plan and be liveable but not a McMansion. I will be able to have my urban cake and eat it too - with free sun heating my house and generating my electricity!

This week Tri-City Contractors dug my footers. They were inspected promptly and....

The concrete trucks arrived. A hard-working crew quickly filled the footer trenches.

Next week, after the footers harden, they will form some concrete walls to fill with gravel. Then they will install rebar grids. My radiant floor heating kit is on it's way. I'll be looping 4 separate zones of pex piping through grids to be buried in the concrete slab. On sunny winter days, the sun coming in the southern exposure windows and the fluid running through the roof top solar collectors will heat the 8" thick slab during the day and the heat will be released at night. I can hardly wait for the next step! This will be a long process though - I plan to finish the exterior of the house in 4 or 5 months, then slowly work on the inside - doing as much of the work as possible myself. I will move in after I've lived in my current house for 2 years and can take the tax break. So check back - I'll try to be better about posting regularly since this is such a cool project!

906 Oakwood - almost there. Anyone want to buy it?

2009-11-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

Rhumba Orange. That's the color of 906 Oakwood - the last house on the corner of Oakwood and Seawell. The block has undergone quite a change in the last 18 months - almost no more prostitution and drug deals, a row of totally renovated, brightly colored houses, within walking distance of Raleigh's Main Street, and a really nice place to live.

This house has a very similar layout to 908 Oakwood - see previous post. The 3rd floor is larger - 2 full bedrooms and a bath, but other than that it's basically the same. Dark oak floors on the first floor - gas logs, open floor plan. Same exposed brick fireplace with gas logs.

The kitchen has Maple cabinetry, granite counters and stainless appliances. It will have glass mosaic tile on the backsplash. It's quite a bit larger than 910-916's kitchens because the house is bigger and more people will likely live here!

This house has all of the green features of 908 Oakwood as well - Icynene spray foam insulation, no VOC paint, Rinnai tankless water heater, high efficiency heat pump, energy star windows and doors and light fixtures. CF bulbs. So far, my power bills have averaged $31 per month next door!

The second and third floors will be carpeted. The second floor has a Master BR/Bath with access to the 2nd level front porch - great views! Also on the 2nd floor is a guest room with a full bath and an office/loft area. The third floor has two full bedrooms and a bath. Very useable space - a lot of livability for the square footage. Views of DTR from the 2nd and 3rd floors.

This house should go on the market in about 2 weeks for $324,900; but if you want to get a jump on the market email me and I'll be happy to show it!

908 Oakwood Finished

2009-11-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit delinquent in posting, but that's because I've been busy! After working really hard on another house over the spring, I got 908 Oakwood done, then went on vacation to Peru and hiked the Inca trail. I moved into this house in early August and LOVE living back in the 'hood.

908 and 906 have a different floor plan and are larger than 910-916. That is because the original footprint was wider - closer to a square, so there was a bit more design flexibility. This house has 3 bedrooms plus a loft/office area and 3 1/2 bathrooms.

I am really enjoying the backard - when I'm not on the front porch! The back yard is a small area but very nicely landscaped. When the shrubs grow it will have some very nice natural privacy screens.

The living room is really cozy - not too big, but big enough and open to the dining area and kitchen - great floor plan for entertaining. I love the gas logs too! This house was spray-foam insulated, so it takes very little energy. My peak power bill (with A/C running full blast this summer) was $51. Not bad for a 1500 sq ft house. Last month the heat started cranking and I thought the bill might be a bit higher - $23!!! YEAH! GREEN BABY!

Speaking of Green, I did some other green things too. Bamboo floors, no VOC paint, low VOC woods in the cabinets, a paver-stone driveway with little runoff, of course Energy Star light fixtures, windows and doors, and CF bulbs and a Rinnai tankless water heater ($12 gas bills - cooking and water heating).

I like having a dining room table - missed that while living in 912 Oakwood. I like having folks over to eat.

The kitchen is significantly larger since this is a 3 br home. I used granite in this house rather than concrete - just because I didn't have time to make concrete counters again.

It's nice having an office with lots of natural light and a view of the DTR skyline!

The master BR has access to the 2nd floor porch on the street side - overlooking the cemetary - very pretty.

The TV is upstairs on the 3rd floor with a full bathroom - the roofline makes it cozy, and skylights keep it bright during the day. Very relaxing room.

So, at this point, there is one more house to go as far as renovation - 906 Oakwood, and we have just broken ground on 316 Seawell - but they are topics for separate posts!

The story continues...

2009-05-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I've posted, but the work has continued!

This is 908 Oakwood. The other 4 houses are all occupied, one is by me! I'm living here since I sold my big house and am downsizing. I'll eventually move into 908 - if all goes according to plan.

Currently it is framed, most of the siding is on, the electrical, mechanical and plumbing is roughed in.

This house is really cool - a great use of space - I can't wait to move in. It was just insulated - and I'm using spray-foam insulation now. It's amazing to watch that stuff go in, and although it's reall expensive, it is supposed to have a 2-3 year payback period.

These houses are quite a bit larger than 916-910. 908 will be 1513 sq feet and 906 will be a tad bigger.

The difference is that in 906 there will be a full shed dormer on the East side so that we can get two full bedrooms and a bathroom on the 3rd floor.

I really like the 2nd floor porch - that is off the master bedroom.

The neighborhood has really improved since the first 4 houses occupied!

It's been a long time (4 months!) since I last posted, but the progress continues on Oakwood Avenue.

908 Oakwood Begins

2009-01-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

908 Oakwood and 906 Oakwood will be a different, larger layout. These houses will have a full second story and a finished attic. The first floor will have a LR, DR and Kitchen as well as a 1/2 bath. The second floor will have a Master BR and a second BR with its own bathroom. The master will have a porch overtop of the front porch. There will also be a laundry center and study or play area.

The third floor will have two bedrooms and a bathroom.

These cozy, well designed homes will be energy efficient as are the other homes in Oakwood Cottages. They will have higher-end finishes and be a great addition to the neighborhood.

Another one finished and sold!

2009-01-04T11:56:00.001-08:00

It's been a busy few weeks, but 910 Oakwood is finished! (Except for replacing a mysterious broken window! - Opps!)

Joe & Erin have moved in - best wishes for Happy Years together in your new home!

This is the rear of the first 4 houses - what a difference!

Joe & Erin have a kitchen that is a different layout - it's great! The kitchens in the other houses were designed to allow for a side-by-side washer dryer. Joe & Erin elected a stack unit accessed from the hall area under the loft, leaving their kitchen a bit larger - no island, two walls of cabinets, more space in between.

916 and 914 are finished!!!

2008-12-10T02:58:00.000-08:00

916 Oakwood, the first house in the row, is now finished and occupied! It has been transformed from a run-down shack into a beautiful, comfortable and energy efficient home.

914 Oakwood is also complete. The bright purple doors are a great accent to the exterior! This house has been sold.

These homes have small private yards in the rear with some really cool fences! The balconies are off of the Master Bedroom upstairs and have a view of the Raleigh skyline.

This is the Living room of 914 Oakwood. The owners chose dark flooring, which really accents the house and gives it a classy, urban look.

The kitchen in 194 turned out incredibly well. Very nice concrete counters - stained are accented by a well-coordinated glass mosaic tile backsplash.

This is the view from the upstairs loft of the Livingroom in 914.

The gas logs in the fireplace create a nice warm glow and cozy atmosphere.

Ok - enough bragging - time to get back to work on 910 Oakwood. It is sold and closes 12/29! Get busy!

This is Brett and Patrick trying to put up some track lights. Too bad the Swedes didn't make the track light - the cabinets from IKEA went in much more easily!

Certificates of Occupancy!!

2008-11-19T18:35:00.000-08:00

The certificate of Occupancy for 916 Oakwood (the first house) was received on 11/18, and today we got the CO for the second house 914. So now, there is electricity and heat in 916. It has been rented, and the first members of the community will move in to their new home in early December. Welcome to Lisa and Marisa!

John, Patrick and Brent are hard at work building the fence's for 916 and 914.

Cool fences, huh?! Some shrubs and mulch will make the houses look great! I sure wish it were a bit warmer, but it looks like I'll be breaking through some frozen ground this weekend.

914 Oakwood is almost done as well. The power gets turned on tomorrow. All the flooring is in and looks great. Only some minor work and cleaning inside. I can't wait for the heat to be started up Friday AM! Thanks to ARS for a great job - Tim Halat, the construction manager is very responsive and has been great to work with.

The second members of the neighborhood will be moving in in mid December - Welcome to Scott & Amy!

Jeff is almost done the stairway in 910 Oakwood - we are busily working away to get this house done by mid December for the third new neighbors. Joe and Erin are really excited about their new home!

This is 908 Oakwood. Chris and his crew have jacked it up and dug new footers, which will hopefully get inspected and have concrete poured by Friday. It is amazing how construction methods have changed - these houses originally were built with very little in the way of underground foundations.

Norman is digging out to place new foundation concrete around the bottom of the chimney so it will be stable in the new house.

This is the view from inside 908. Before long, it will look quite different!

First one - almost done, closing in on # 2!

2008-11-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

The first house (916) is almost done and is now listed on Craigslist for sale or rent. The house has passed the final HVAC and Plumbing Inspections, and will likely pass the electrical inspection tomorrow. I hope to have the Certificate of Occupancy by the end of the week, with landscaping to be done over the next two weeks.

There are a few small items to finish, and the house needs to be cleaned, but it it really looking nice.

Ready for appliances!

The second house, 914 is moving along right on schedule. It is sold, and scheduled to close at the end of November. The interior is painted, the flooring is almost all in, tile work in process, and the kitchen cabinets will be in tomorrow. The countertops will be poured Wednesday and hopefully installed by early next week.

HVAC finish work will be done this week, and so will the electrical finish work. The staircase looks great with the white paint against the dark bamboo floors the buyers selected. Very classy!

910 is moving along too. The drywall went in last week, and trim carpentry should be done shortly, then paint! The buyers are looking forward to their December finish date.

912 is waiting at this point. The trim carpentry is in, and it's ready to be painted as soon as there is a buyer ready to choose colors.

The first of the "last two" houses has been torn down to the basics and is ready to have the new foundation poured.

This house will be slightly larger than the rest. It is a more square footprint, and will get a full 2nd floor rather than the "camelback" the other houses got. The attic will also be finished. As amazing as it looks from this picture, this house will be have 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths when done!

Concrete Countertops

2008-10-17T02:43:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy couple of weeks! I've put together and installed my IKEA cabinets in 916 Oakwood, the first house. That was much easier than I thought it would be. I then got to work on the concrete countertops - my first experience with making them.

Setting up shop in the backyard, I made the forms from Melamine so the concrete wouldn't stick or get any impressions. They had to be carefully cut, then caulked. I included a blockout for the faucet and sink. The forms had to sit exactly level.

I mixed regular concrete from Lowe's in a wheelbarrow and added some color mix (Quickrete) to get to a brown color with some color variations that I wanted. I tried to splatter some color blotches on the form so the counters would pick that up. More on that later.

The forms also had rebar for strength suspended with wire so

when the counters were poured, the rebar would not settle to the bottom - which would become the top of the counters.

After the concrete was mixed, I shoveled it into the forms then troweled it out. I was worried about too much water, and I think I ended up not using quite enough - now I know for next time!

After that, I used a concrete vibrator to vibrate the forms and get out the pockets of air. That was quite a mess. Concrete (red/brown) splattered all over me. Later that afternoon, someone who had never met me showed up at the jobsite and said "wow" - you look like you've been in a war!

I let the tops dry for 3 days, then with some help carried the very heavy forms into the kitchen and placed the counters on the top of the cabinets. Normally you would take the counters out of the forms first, but I had a very narrow place with a hole in the middle of it for the faucet and I was concerned about that spot cracking.

After removing the forms, I discovered a pretty good look. There were a few things I will do differently next time. One, I will not allow anyone to talk to me while I'm measuring or making the forms. The sink hole ended up being 3" too big. I suppose that's better than too small, because I was able to add some metal trim and it looks ok. Also, I made the forms before installing the cabinet doors/drawers. I used the 1/2" overhang recommended, but didn't take into account the width of the doors. Next time I'll use a bigger overhang.
Also, the color splashed I tried to do didn't work out too well. They ended up causing some of the smooth concrete at the surface to chip off. I had quite a bit of work to do to get that looking good and smooth, but that turned out ok in the end. Next time I'm going to try making the counters without any color dye in them and using a stain after they are sanded smooth. I'll let you know how that turns out!

After the form was removed, I had to sand the counters. What a mess - I'll never do that inside again!

Once the sanding was done, I used a sealer on the tops. They really look nice now. They aren't perfect, but they are really pretty - and I think a good job for my first time doing this myself. They will last for a long, long time, and really add a lot of character to the kitchen.

I'm probably within a couple weeks of finishing the first house. The lighting is all in (thanks John!) and the exterior grading is done (thanks Jeff!). Next week we'll install the appliances and start getting final inspections. We'll also get the fences up on the first two houses and start some landscaping. Check back for more pictures soon!

Trim, Interior Painting and Flooring done - First house

2008-10-05T04:19:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks at 916 Oakwood Avenue! The interior is coming along nicely. The environmentally-friendly bamboo flooring is all in now (except for the shoe-mould), the trim is mostly done, and the interior is painted.

View from the loft towards the front door. These vaulted ceilings really make the place look big.

This is the upstairs bedroom looking towards the balcony and the bathroom. The creamy yellow color is nice and bright, but very calming.

The ceramic tile in the bathtub/shower in the upstairs bathroom came out great!

The shower in the downstairs bath looks nice too! All ready for the glass enclosure.

This upcoming week cabinets and light fixtures go in, and then I try my hand at making decorative concrete counters. I watched my friend Will Jeffers make them a couple of days ago and now I'm looking forward to doing it myself.

I'm hoping to be done the first house by the end of October.

914 Oakwood is moving along too! The trim is getting done this week, along with the exterior painting (Restful Green with a Dewberry - purple door). I can't take credit for that - the buyer's mom did it! I love it!

We started 908 Oakwood Friday - the roof is now off. Next is redoing the foundation under the whole house to support the second floor. Thanks to the truss design, we'll be able to get a couple extra rooms in the attic - it's going to be a really cool house - pictures coming soon!

Sold!

2008-09-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Oakwood Cottages are coming right along. 916 Oakwood Avenue is almost totally painted on the outside.

912 Oakwood Avenue has the first coat of paint on the outside and is currently getting drywall done on the inside.

916 Oakwood now has the trim finished and it's primed inside. This week the interior will be painted and the Bamboo flooring will begin to go in!

914 Oakwood is now insulated, and drywall should go in in about a week.

Originally, I had planned to rent all 6 of the homes, but after thinking about it, I decided that it would create a better sense of community in the block to have at least half of the homes be owner-occupied. Despite the national real estate market, there is a strong demand for reasonably priced homes in Downtown Raleigh. Compared with smaller homes further away from downtown, these homes are reasonably priced at $225,000. Considering that everything is new, except a small amount of original siding and framing, that is a great price for downtown Raleigh.

A local Realtor, Van Fletcher, contacted me and has brought me a contract for 914 Oakwood and we are expecting a contract on 912 Oakwood! This community is coming together!

Some exterior paint and the sheetrock going in!

2008-08-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

Quite a bit of progress has occurred in the last few weeks. The first house (916) has gotten the windows and skylights in, the siding finished, the roof on, and is now in the process of being painted. Saving the old siding where possible means lots of labor for preparing it to be painted so that it blends with the new siding on the new part of the house. I think it's worth it to not waste old wood - tryin' to be green here!

The view from the back of 916. I think the balcony coming out from the master bedroom is pretty cool. It will have a city skyline view once the landscaping is done right.

There has been good progress inside too! The sheetrock is hung and will be finished within a few days. This shot shows the livingroom with the exposed brick fireplace - still to be repaired. The loft is visible at the top, with the master bedroom beyond that.

This is a view from the kitchen looking back towards the livingroom. The area under the stairs gets the washer and dryer.

Here is the upstairs master bedroom - looking at the bathroom door straight ahead, with the closed door opening over to the left, then the door to the balcony.

Wow - this is really exciting!

2008-08-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since I've posted an update. A lot's been happening despite the near 100 degree temperatures in Raleigh. Two of the houses are now framed inside & out.

Chris Kala (at left) is now back from vacation and so more progress will be made soon, I'm sure! Hi Chris!

The first house (916 Oakwood) has finished rough-in plumbing, electrical and HVAC. The windows are almost all in, the siding is going on and the roof should be on next week. Then we start painting.

Hopefully next week we'll get insulation in and maybe even start sheetrock!

This is what the inside looks like now - looking from the front doorway through the livingroom. The skylight still needs to go in the LR - that will brighten it up a lot. The exposed-brick fireplace stays - but will be opened up and sealed - used for gas logs. You can see the kitchen area behind the stairs, then the first floor BR beyond that (with it's own bath).

Upstairs is an open loft with a vaulted ceiling and skylight then the Master BR with it's own bath, a window seat, and a french door out to a private balcony which overlooks the City skyline. Very cool view!

Siding going on the outside of 916!

Check back soon for more updates.

They are taking shape!

2008-07-13T05:47:00.000-07:00

This week was one of those weeks where we made some real progress. The second floor is framed on the first house. This is the view from the front.

Here is the view from the side. It's really nice to see something that was in my mind become reality. Thanks to Bryant's and Chris' creativity we were able to figure out how to get the stairs in and still have room for both a loft above the living room and room for the washer and dryer cabinet in the kitchen.

Wow - this actually looks like it's going to be a real house soon! Monday morning the electrician, plumber, and HVAC guys will be at the job site, starting work on this house. Bryant has been working overtime this weekend to get the floor system rebuilt and the new stairs in.

The other houses are moving along too. I'll post more soon!

Now this is more like it!

2008-07-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

I got back from vacation today and rushed right over to Oakwood Ave to check on the progress of the cottages. Now we're getting somewhere. Bryant Chambers, my other trusty carpenter, has made some great progress. The foundations on two of the houses are rebuilt, and the other two are underway. The framing for the first floor of two of the houses is just about done. Bryant tells me that the first house will be framed in another week, so then we can get the electrician, plumber and HVAC guys to work. Yeah!

Here is the foundation for the rear section of the house - totally rebuilt.

Framing for the floor - rear section.

The walls framed for the new first floor bedroom and bath.

Framing and foundation repairs under the original section of the houses.

Check back soon for more progress!

Permits for the first two houses!

2008-06-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

On Thursday of last week, Chris (one of my trusty carpenters) took my permit applications to the City. After various corrections they wanted made, he was told they'd get them processed, maybe by Friday or at least by Monday and call him.

Well... as things go, they called me Monday with another question, then after I begged and pleaded (and paid $580) they issued permits for two of the six applications. The clerk in the office told me in no uncertain terms that despite what I've been told in the past and what the City website says, they have 5 days to issue permits and it will likely take all 5 days. Seems that doing them faster will interfere with the numerous personal conversations some of the staff there have going on that must be very, very important. Infinitely more important than interuppting them for a waiting permit application.

Do I sound bitter? I don't really mean to bash all the folks there, because some of them have been very helpful. It is just really frustrating to wait all this time, be told I could get permits in one day, then be made to wait 5 days. UGGH!

So, on the positive side, the foundation footer is dug on two of the four houses, and in process on the other two. We can get the inspection tomorrow and then begin pouring concrete!

Chris and Bryant tell me that it won't be long before I'll start seeing some framing! Yeah!

Keep watching for some more interesting pics as we get really moving.

Yes!!!

2008-06-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

That's the word from the City of Raleigh Board of Adjustment. As long as I conform to the neighborhood overlay district - which means I can't let tenants park in the yard anymore (like that big 70' something Lincoln Continental that's been there for the last few months from my newly evicted tenant). It also means I have to use building materials similar to those in the neighborhood and include architectural features common to the neighborhood - such as porches. All of that was part of my plan anyway.

So, now we wait 10 more days until I get the building permit, then we pour new foundations for the back third. So, but the beginning of July we should see some framing!

Still waiting, but we're doing what we can...

2008-05-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

It's still not time for the Zoning Hearing yet, but we've been busy doing what we can. Many of the overgrown trees have been either removed (only where necessary!) or trimmed back. It's now possible to see the fronts of all the houses and the tree limbs that were resting on the roofs are all now gone.

There's still some "unsavory" activity going on in the backyards - but clearing the underbrush should help, and soon we'll have some lighting. I guess old habits die hard.

The interiors of the four houses in Phase I are all gutted down to the studs. The old electrical wiring was removed for the copper courtesy of some nameless thief, but it will be sold and recycled! The flooring is all out as well - unfortunately the old wood was just to damaged to save.

Number 910 has had the old back addition torn off - it's amazing that thing was even still standing. We found that there had been a fire at one time, and the foundation appeared to be 2 layers of concrete block sitting on dirt with no mortar. Yikes!

Number 908 (one of the Phase II houses) has had the asphalt siding removed, and the original wood siding has been caulked, primed and painted blue. Just the trim needs to be done. I decided to paint 908 so it doesn't make the Phase I houses look so bad when we get towards the end of Phase I and it's time to occupy them.

Still anxious to get going....

More Delays

2008-05-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

Well, more delays from my favorite governmental agency - the City of Raleigh. Apparently someone has decided they need a day off on the day my hearing has been scheduled for the zoning variance, so now it's been rescheduled for June 9. Then it will be 10 days more until they can issue permits.

So, I've notified my carpenters who now have to find more work for yet another month. How very frustrating.

In the mean time, we are doing all the demo work possible, and some pretty intensive clearing of the lots. There were a lot of very overgrown trees, saplings and shrubs hanging all over the houses. Not anymore! It looks so much better already, and much more work is still needed.

I guess patience is a virtue - and it's out of my control, so now I'm looking forward to June 19 - the first possible day I can get a permit.

What they look like now

2008-04-20T13:18:00.001-07:00

This is the exterior - sided with Asphalt shingles. They look bad, but the good news is that they work. So, under these shingles is decent wood siding. I think I can reuse most of it! Yeah!

The whole row is pretty overgrown with trees/weeds. I'll be working on that until my Zoning Variance comes through.

In The Beginning

2008-04-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

So, somehow I moved from the country to downtown Raleigh, started restoring old houses and ended up selling my CPA firm to do this full time. I'm having a blast, and making a few bucks.

Eighteen months ago I got a call about a row of six "shotgun houses" for sale just outside of Historic Oakwood in downtown Raleigh. I've always thought they had potential, so I bought them.

The were totally run down and fundamentally ugly from years of neglect and rental to lower income residents. Basically, they are the sore spot in a redeveloping neighborhood. So, I can't resist them.

After a year and a half, I'm finally ready to begin renovating them. Here's what they looked like at the start.

Over the past month, a guy that needs some work has been helping me tear out the interiors. So, now they are almost all gutted down to the studs.

I'm currently getting ready to submit an application for a Zoning Variance Hearing to the City. I've learned that the houses are all about 6' from the street, not the required 20' and some of them don't have the required side yard setbacks either. So, I need a zoning variance to add any livable square footage. This is contrary to what I was told before - if I wasn't adding any "footprint" I didn't need a variance. Ugh!

I plan to add about 350 square feet in the form of a second floor over the back half of the houses. This will require rebuiling some rear walls and lowering the ceiling in the middle room to 8' to make it consistent with the rest of the back part of the house.

The new upstairs will have a bedroom and bathroom, and hopefully a balcony with a City Skyline view. How cool is that???

The new downstairs area will have a living room with cathedral ceilings, a new modern kitchen, bedroom and smal bathroom.

I think these will be very nice when done - not sure what I'll do with them yet, maybe sell a few, maybe keep them all. We'll see how much this project really costs!

more later...